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J&K: Five soldiers, as many civilians killed in avalanches

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Mubashir Bukhari

Srinagar(NVI): Five security personnel and five civilians were killed while seven security men were rescued after avalanches struck various places in Kashmir since last night, police and defence officials said.

Due to heavy snowfall in the last 48 hours, there have been multiple avalanches in several areas in north Kashmir. Kashmir received 3 to 4 feet snow in higher reaches, while the plains received one feet snow since Sunday evening.

In Machhil sector, which is close to the Line of Control (LoC), five security personnel – including four Army men and a BSF man – were trapped under the snow after being struck by an avalanche last night. Four of them died while one was rescued.

Shriram Ambarker, Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, told News Vibes of India (NVI) that the police recovered five security personnel who were trapped under the snow. “Four of them succumbed, while one of them survived,” he said.

In Naugam sector, a Border Security Force (BSF) constable was killed while six others were rescued after an avalanche hit them last evening, as per the officials.

Superintendent of Police, Ganderbal, Khalil Ahmad Paswal said nine civilians were trapped in Ganderbal avalanche, five of whom succumbed and four were rescued. While two dead bodies were found on Monday night, three were found today.

The deceased civilians have been identified as Mohammad Sadiq, Showkhat Ahmad, Ishtiiyaq Ahmad, Dawood Ahmad and Mohammad Akhbar Bhat.

Nirbhaya: SC dismisses curative petitions

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New Delhi (NVI): The Supreme Court today dismissed the curative petitions filed by two of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya rape case.

The pleas were filed by Mukesh and Vinay Sharma on January 9. All the four convicts, including two others- Akshay Kumar and Pawan Gupta- are scheduled to be hanged on January 22 at 7 am in Tihar Jail.

A five-judge bench comprising of Justices NV Ramana, Arun Mishra, Rohinton Nariman, R Banumathi, and Ashok Bhushan pronounced the verdict today after they took up the matter at around 1.45 pm this afternoon.

After the rejection, now the accused only have the option to file mercy pleas before President Ram Nath Kovind.Nirbhaya, a 23-year-old girl, was brutally raped and murdered on the night of December 16, 2012, in a south Delhi area.

Terror-accused DSP not awarded any medal by MHA: J&K Police

New Delhi(NVI): The Jammu and Kashmir Police today said DSP Davinder Singh, who was arrested along with two Hizbul Mujahideen militants on January 11, has not been awarded any gallantry medal by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), as being reported by some media outlets.

The only gallantry medal awarded to him during his service is by the erstwhile J&K state on Independence Day in 2018 for countering a ‘Fidayeen’ (suicide) attack by terrorists at District Police Lines, Pulwama, on August 25/26, 2017 when he was posted there as Deputy SP, it said in a series of tweets.

“Jammu Kashmir Police is known for its professionalism & doesn’t spare anyone including its own cadres if found involved in any unlawful act or unbecoming conduct.

“We have done it in the past in many cases and now in this particular case where it has caught its own officer on its own input and action and would continue to abide by our code of conduct and the Law of the Land which is same for everyone,” it said.

The police said a special investigation team is handling the interrogation of the arrested accused officer and the terrorists. The team “would probe his criminal conduct in the instant case and his involvement in any such criminal acts in the past,” the police added.

Singh was arrested on Srinagar-Jammu national highway for allegedly ferrying two militants.

Chennai air become hazardous after Bhogi celebration

Chennai (NVI): A day after Bhogi celebrations in Chennai, the air quality index in most parts of the state reached hazardous levels, with thin layer of smog enveloping the city today.

According to Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, the air quality index which measures the concentration of poisonous particulate matter, touched a high 597 in Manali area, which falls in the “Hazardous” category.

Most of the places in the city recorded the AQI in the “moderate” category.

When the air quality is hazardous, it affects the healthy people and seriously impacts those with existing diseases.

People of Tamil Nadu celebrates Bhogi festival by lightning a bonfire on the occassion which marks the beginning of four-day Pongal festival.

Bhogi celebration is also a part of Pongal festival in which useless household items are bonfired. Pongal is a festival that marks the end of winters and the beginning of the harvest season.

Delhi sees further respite from chill  

New Delhi (NVI): Delhi temperature today rose to 10.5 degrees celsius from 8.0 degrees celsius recorded yesterday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast a spell of showers in Delhi-NCR around January 16 and 17 due to a fresh western disturbances.

The maximum temperature  today is expected to be around 18.0 degrees celsius, according to IMD.

The weatherman has forecast partly cloudy skies for the day.

Meanwhile,  the overall air quality in the national capital today remained in the “very poor” category.

According to System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR),the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the national capital stood at  306 which falls in the “very poor” category.

The worst affected areas are Dhirpur, Delhi University, Chandni Chowk, Pusa, Lodhi Road, Mathura Road, IGI Terminal 3 and the neighbouring Noida.

Insufficient physical activity leads to 3-5 mn deaths annually: WHO

New Delhi (NVI): Between three and five million deaths annually can be attributed to insufficient physical activity, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Physical inactivity increases people’s risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes and dementia, it said.

It says that insufficient physical activity is on the rise in many countries and globally, one in four adults are not active enough.

Insufficient physical activity is one of the risk factors for death, the global health body said.

According to the WHO, insufficient physical activity leads to burden of non-communicable diseases and affects the general health worldwide.

It further stated that regular and adequate levels of physical activity helps builds strong bones and muscles, protect from chronic diseases and many cancers. Besides, supporting learning and preventing cognitive decline, it also supports healthy ageing.

Increasing physical activity can prevent children from becoming obese, it said. Obesity, a global epidemic, is a known contributor to several cancers, including breast, colon, and pancreatic. “Less screen time, more play and recreation time is key,” said WHO in another tweet.

Adults (18+) need 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity to improve and maintain health. That means exercising for half an hour for five days in a week at least.

“Physical activity can be done anytime, anywhere,” says another tweet on the official handle of WHO. “You don’t have to go to a gym to be physically active. Walking is the most common physical activity and is highly recommended. It is absolutely free!” says another tweet.

“We are constantly on the move but not necessarily active,” WHO said, underlining the way in which modernisation and urban life have affected human health.

PM, Putin hold phone conversation

New Delhi (NVI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin today had a telephonic conversation during which they exchanged views on regional and global issues, against the backdrop of persisting US-Iran tensions.

The two leaders “underlined the great similarity and convergence in the approaches of India and Russia for ensuring regional and global security, peace and stability”, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

During the conversation, Modi recalled that the Russian Federation celebrated Christmas recently as per the tradition in that country and conveyed season’s greetings to President Putin and to people of Russia.

Putin warmly reciprocated the greetings and wished  Modi and the people of India prosperity, progress, peace and happiness, it said.

The two leaders expressed happiness at the significant landmarks the Special Privileged Strategic Partnership between the two countries had covered in the recent past, particularly in the year 2019.

They agreed to continue consulting closely and working assiduously to further strengthen India-Russia ties in all spheres the year 2020.

Modi stressed that the year 2020 would be of special significance for Russia, and recalled with gratitude Putin’s invitation to him to participate in the 75th Victory Day Celebration in Moscow in May this year.

The Prime Minister stated that he looked forward also to participating in the Summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the BRICS countries in Russia this year, and welcoming Putin in India for the 21st bilateral Annual Summit.

At least 7 million people die every year due to air pollution: WHO

New Delhi (NVI): An estimated seven million people die worldwide every year due to air pollution, says a report by World Health Organisation (WHO), while also mentioning that one-third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer and heart disease are due to bad air quality. This is an equivalent effect to that of smoking.

WHO data shows that 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. To tackle the challenge, the organisation is working with countries to monitor air pollution and improve air quality.

The report comes amid huge concerns over the poor air quality in Delhi-NCR, that has forced people to wear air masks in the national capital. Initially, stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana was held responsible for the bad air quality. But, later many other reasons were reported to be behind the envelope of smoke in Delhi-NCR. These included dust from construction sites and vehicle pollution.

From smog hanging over cities to smoke inside the home, air pollution poses a major threat to health and climate, says the WHO report. The combined effects of ambient (outdoor) and household air pollution cause about seven million premature deaths every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections, the report says.

More than 80% of people living in urban areas that monitor air pollution are exposed to air quality levels that exceed WHO guideline limits, with low- and middle-income countries suffering from the highest exposures, both indoors and outdoors.

The Delhi government also switches to odd-even rule for vehicles when the pollution in the city reaches alarming levels. Delhi hospitals have also reported an increase in cases where patients are suffering from breathing issues and bronchitis due to toxic levels of particulate matter in the air. Elderly people and children are most affected by air pollution.

WHO alerts countries on new virus

New Delhi (NVI): After detection of a case in Thailand, the World Health Organization (WHO) today issued guidance on how to detect and treat persons ill with the new coronavirus, a strain that has not been previously identified in humans.

According to the WHO, Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.

Detailed investigations found that SARS-CoV was transmitted from civet cats to humans and MERS-CoV from dromedary camels to humans, according to the WHO.

Several known coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans.

Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties.

In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.

Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs.

Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.

The WHO said it is working with officials in Thailand and China following reports of confirmation of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in a traveller from Wuhan, China, who visited Thailand.

“WHO reiterates that it is essential that investigations of the novel coronavirus continue in China to identify the source of the outbreak and any animal reservoirs or intermediate hosts,” it said.

The possibility of the novel coronavirus cases being identified in other countries was not unexpected, and reinforces why WHO calls for on-going active monitoring and preparedness in other countries, the global health body said.

Given the developments, WHO Director General is consulting with Emergency Committee members and could call for a meeting of the committee on short notice, it said.

Shah for separate policy for clean environment on islands

New Delhi (NVI): Union Home Minister Amit Shah today pitched for a separate policy for maintaining a clean, green and healthy environment in the islands.

While chairing the sixth meeting of the Island Development Agency (IDA) held here, Shah expressed satisfaction at the progress made and called upon all concerned to expedite implementation of the on-going projects for islanders’ benefits.

He further advised to implement suitable strategies for sustainable utilization of fisheries resources available in Exclusive Economic Zone around the islands.

Adequate technology-based facilities need to be provided to enhance fish collection, storage, processing and export of value-added products which would provide more jobs and generate additional income for the islands.

During the meeting, the Island Development Agency reviewed the progress made towards the programme “Holistic development of islands”.

For the first time in the country, under the guidance of IDA, an initiative of sustainable development in the identified islands within scientifically-assessed carrying capacity has been taken-up.

Development Plans with focus on creation of jobs for the islanders through tourism promotion as well as export of seafood and coconut-based products made in the islands have been prepared and are being implemented in four islands of Andaman & Nicobar and five islands of Lakshadweep.

In the second phase, suitable sites in 12 more islands of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and 5 islands in Lakshadweep have been covered.

Model tourism projects both Land-based and Water Villas were planned and bids have been invited for private sector participation.

As a unique initiative, to spur investment, it was decided to obtain clearances for implementation of the planned projects up-front.

All necessary clearances would be in place before bids finalization.

Environment and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances have already been obtained for four exemplary tourism projects of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

For strengthening infrastructure support, projects for improving air, sea and digital connectivity are also being implemented.

Port Blair and another 7 islands in Andaman & Nicobar would get digitally connected through submarine optical fibre cable by June, 2020.

Better communication services would facilitate setting up of Information Technology based and other Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the islands with incentives through Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands Industrial Development Scheme (LANIDS), 2018 notified on January 1, 2019.

The proposed airports in Great Nicobar Island of Andaman & Nicobar and Minicoy Island of Lakshadweep would catalyze the development process in the region.

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